Children going barefoot is good for their growth, say podiatrists

IF YOU let your kids do this, you might be considered a bogan. But health experts say it’s something all children should be doing.

Marley Binke, 19 months from Buderim. Barefoot is good for kids. Pic Megan Slade

TUT-TUT parents who think barefoot children are bogan should think again.

The feet experts believe there are times when children should throw off their shoes and feel the ground beneath their toes.

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Kylie McCulloch, from the Australian Podiatry Association, believes that walking barefoot gives children better foot strength, flexibility, circulation and proprioception – the sense of how the body is positioned relative to the ground.

But she says running barefoot should be reserved for familiar and safe surfaces and shoes are appropriate 90 per cent of the time.

According to podiatrist and father-of-three Tim Bransdon: “The foot has almost the same amount of nerve endings and dexterity as the hand and using cushioned, heavy, rigid shoes like many traditional school shoes doesn’t allow the foot to send vital feedback back to the brain which can help kids develop into healthy, thriving adults.

“A child’s shoe should be lightweight, flexible and shaped more like the foot.

“This is especially important for children as the bones in the feet are not fully formed until well into their teenage and even adult years.”

Marley Binke, 19 months, of Buderim, loves the freedom of running barefoot and his mum encourages it when the environment is safe.

“It is a great natural massage for children,” mum Areille Albert said.